RURAL ARCHITECTURE. 355 



directly beneath the living rooms. This has partly 

 arisen from the circumstance of the comparative economy 

 of this method of constructing them under the same 

 roof; and partly from the difficulty of adding wings to 

 the main building for those purposes, which will not 

 mar the simplicity and elegance of a Grecian villa. In 

 the better class of houses in England, the domestic 

 offices, which include the kitchen and its appurtenances, 

 and also the stable, coach-house, harness-room, etc., are 

 in the majority of cases attached to the main body of 

 the building on one side. The great advantage of 

 having all these conveniences on the same floor with 

 the principal rooms, and communicating in such a way 

 as to be easily accessible at all times without going into 

 the open air, is undeniable. It must also be admitted that 

 these domestic offices, extending out from the main 

 building, partly visible and partly concealed by trees and 

 foliage, add much to the extent and importance of a villa 

 or mansion in the country. In the old English style these 

 appendages are made to unite happily with the building, 

 which is in itself irregular. Picturesque effect is certainly 

 increased by thus extending the pile and increasing the 

 variety of its outline. 



A blind partiality for any one style in building is detri- 

 mental to the progress of improvement, both in taste and 

 comfort. The variety of means, habits, and local feelings, 

 will naturally cause many widely different tastes to arise 

 among us ; and it is only by the means of a number of 

 distinct styles, that this diversity of tastes can be accom- 

 modated. There will always be a large class of individuals 

 in every country who prefer a plain square house because 

 it is more economical, and because they have little feeling 



